New pay offer to stop Scottish teacher strikes closing schools to be tabled

A significant new pay offer for Scottish teachers has been discussed ahead of more than 20 days of strikes set to close schools.

EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley said the two sides were within “touching distance” of an agreement following months of classroom walkouts by educators.

STV News understands the offer, which could be tabled tomorrow, is made up of a 7% rise this year, a 4.5% rise up to December this year and a 2% increase from January to August next year.

It comes as schools across the country returned after two days of industrial action amid the bitter pay dispute between educators, the Government and councils.

On Monday, the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) said it would continue with strike action until a “more credible offer is put onto the negotiating table”.

The Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT), the body responsible for discussions between local authorities, the Government and the profession met on Thursday, and the EIS confirmed it was awaiting “written confirmation” of the offer.

Earlier in the day, education secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville had said she hoped a new offer could be made “this week” to resolve the dispute without “further disruption to children and young people’s education”.

The union said a provision had been made for a meeting of its salaries and executive committees on Friday should the offer be made in time.

Bradley, the union’s general secretary, said: “The EIS welcomed the opportunity to get around the negotiating table to formally discuss an improved pay offer to Scotland’s teachers.

“We want to see this dispute settled, to enable industrial action to be halted in schools across Scotland and to allow teachers get back to doing what they wish to be doing – working with children and young people in classrooms.”

“Once we have a revised offer in writing, it will be considered through the democratic structures of our union. It will be for members elected to our salaries committee to consider any new offer, and for members elected to our Executive committee to then consider any implications for the current programme of strike action.”

She added: “Ultimately, should a suitably improved offer be received that we can credibly put to our members, strike action would be suspended to allow for consultation, and it would then be for members to decide whether to accept that offer.”

The previous offer included an 11.5% increase over two years but it was rejected and described as “not good enough” by the union.

Under the plans, teachers earning up to £80,000 would see their pay go up by 6% from April 2022, and then another 5.5% in the new financial year.

The EIS has been asking for a 10% pay rise, but that was previously described as “unaffordable” by Somerville.